Team 3: Melody Friedenthal, Kim DeWall and Matt Raymond I.

Planning Process for the Strategic Plan of the FDR Public Library

Library Type & Needs: FDR Public Library is an urban library in a mid-sized city in Central Massachusetts. As the flagship library of a regional library consortium of well over 100 libraries with a combined total of 8 million information packages, it is essential for the FDRPL to maintain and expand the myriad resources it provides to the community-at-large, as well as continue to be leaders in the development and promotion of innovative library services. Planning Team: A 17-member Planning Team is the optimum size, allowing representation from all groups critical to the Plan's success but not so large as to become unwieldy. Working sub-groups will be created so that different aspects of the planning effort can go forward in parallel. The Planning Team will consist of 1) the Library Director, 2) the Assistant Director, 3) the Head of Reference, 4) the Head school librarian for the City, 5) the Director of Technical Services, 6) the Adult Services Department Head, 7) the Periodical Department Head, 8) the Youth Services Department Head, 9) the Childrens Department Head, 10) the Circulation Department Head, 11) a paraprofessional librarian, 12) a teen representative from the librarys Teen Advisory Group, 13) a liaison from the mayors office, 14) a liaison from the Elder Affairs Office, 15) a representative from the Chamber of Commerce, 16) a representative from the Cultural Coalition, and 17) a library trustee. The Planning Team leader will be the liaison from the Chamber of Commerce, who is outside the library hierarchy. Other working group leaders will be nominated as we go forward. Timeline: 10/11/2011 10/14/2011 10/17/2011 10/25/2011 11/1/2011 Director informs trustees of the intent to develop a strategic plan over the next 6 months. Director and AD compile a list of desirable Planning Team representatives; SWOT and PEST forms distributed to staff for return on 9/25. Invitations go out to external stakeholders with request to reply within one week. First Planning Team meeting. Five working groups defined. Delegate tasks to design survey, collate and analyze survey results, budgeting, plan writers. Google Docs (a wiki) established for Working Group collaboration. SWOT and PEST analyses collated and discussed. A rough draft Strategic Plan is finalized and posted on the group Wiki. The planning team will use Survey Monkey to post a survey link on the library's homepage; hard-copy surveys will also be handed out at check-out and self-check-out and left in strategic areas of the library (YA, periodicals, lounge). A drop box for the physical surveys will be located next to the item drop off. Conduct a series of public forums for patrons and the surrounding community in order to discuss specific goals, and whether or not they are needed. The planning team will meet to analyze and discuss the information gathered. Suggestions from the forum will be prioritized and ranked by feasibility and cost. Discussion will also include whether changes must be made to the strategic plan due to the results of the public forum. The planning team will meet to make any changes, and finalize a strategic plan. The Strategic Plan will be presented to the library Board of Trustees.

11/29/2011 12/20/2011 1/12/2012

2/20/2012 3/1/2012

Values Statement:

Our values - The FDR Public Library values the free and unbiased access to information by all people, irrespective of race, religion, ethnicity, age or disability, or any other variable of the human condition. Our guiding principles: We are guided by the belief that a public library is a treasure house of ideas, stories, facts and entertainment, and that all we have to offer should be freely accessible to all those pursuing learning and personal enrichment.

Environmental Scanning: The FDRPL Strategic Planning Committee will conduct environmental scanning through the systematic consideration of a community analysis; a SWOT and PEST analysis; as well as reviewing existing services and staffing; identifying potential collaborators and examining relevant models.1 1. The Community Analysis, prepared by the FDRPL Reference Department, is a compilation of statistical data based upon the U.S. Census Bureau (Data Set 2005-2009 American Community Survey 5Year Estimates) with such figures as:2 Age: Median age is 34.7; 78.1% is 18 or over; 70.06% is 21 or over; 14.6% is 62 or over, an 12.5% is 65 or over. Education: Public school enrollment: 32.3% of the students are in grades 1-8 Languages: 68.9% speak English only; 31.1% speak a language other than English; 17.4% speak English less than "very well;" 15.0% speak Spanish. 2. SWOT Analysis: A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis will be conducted by a sub-group of the Planning Team, using data from the staff and public forum. The planning teams evaluation has found these results: FDRPL strengths are considered to be size of building, which allows for reallocation of room use, and professionally trained staff; weaknesses are lack of timeliness in acquisitions of popular materials and public awareness of the same; opportunities are collaborating with other city agencies (i.e. public schools and Human Services) and local businesses; and threats are considered to be the weak economy and an expected reduction in library funding. 3. PEST Analysis: A PEST (political, economic, social, technological) analysis will be conducted by a sub-group of the Planning Team, including the IT director, and input from the public forum. Political climate: While public libraries, in general, suffered large state budget cuts in the FY11 and resources were consolidated and restructured, the local city government is very supportive of the FDRPL. Economic climate: The unemployment rate was 8.4% in July 2011, and 17.9% of families and people whose income in the past 12 months was below poverty level.3 Social climate: The FDRPL community is rich in cultural diversity and benefits from the enrichment programs within the city due to the number of universities and colleges. In todays economic climate, libraries are being used as community centers for such events in order to save money and consolidate spending. The percentage of elderly has increased 3.6% since the last census and will thus affect the Plan; it will be important to get input from the rep from Elder Affairs, as well as Teen Advisors.

1 2

All data loosely based upon the city of Worcester, MA American Factfinder. Web. 7 Oct. 2011.Retrieved from http://www.factfinder.census.gov 3 Bureau of Labor Statistics. Web. 7 Oct. 2011. http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.ma_worcester_mn.htm

Technological climate: The demand for technology is constantly growing, and the technology itself is in constant flux. 4. Consideration of staffing and staff development will follow Work Forms from The New Planning For Results: A Streamlined Approach, by Sandra S. Nelson. The Planning Team should take into consideration expected staff retirements of two department heads, in addition to normal turnover. 5. The FDRPL Reference Department will provided three relevant models of public library strategic plans of similar libraries for the committee's consideration. Needs Assessment: Survey: The Survey will be provided to people who check out items. When patrons return their materials, they can submit their survey in a drop box located next to the return slot. Surveys will also be offered online and located on the Library's homepage. Questions will deal with the quality of library services, and ask what could be improved. Questions will also address whether patrons would like to see materials and activities that deal directly with their age, demographic or ethnicity. The data will be analyzed by looking at popular requests for changes, and what those changes would require. Forum: A series of public forums will be held to discuss various issues brought up in the survey. The forum is open to everyone including patrons. Content and the numbers of forums will be determined by the results of the online survey. This will give the entire community a voice, and not just frequent patrons of the library. People will be asked about needs that were mentioned in the survey, and whether anyone could think of specific ways that would assure these needs are met. Analysis: The results of the forums will be analyzed by determining the audiences most positive ideas, and whether these ideas could be realistically accomplished. We will use statistical tools in Survey Monkey to analyze the distribution of ideas across the community. Reporting: We will make use of the built-in custom reports and charting tools available from Survey Monkey to communicate to all Planning Team members. Roles, Vision and Mission Statement Development: Vision Statement: A working group consisting of the Director, the trustee and the representative from the Cultural Coalition will develop a Vision Statement for the Library. Mission Statement: A working group consisting of the Assistant Director, the Technical Services director and the liaison from the mayors office will develop a Mission Statement Community Input: In order to achieve the best results for the strategic plan, roles must be revised in accordance to the needs of the patrons and the surrounding area. Community input will be reflected by the designated teams, who will extrapolate significant points and amplify them in their respective statements. Goal, Objective And Action Plan Development: Goals: A working group consisting of the adult department head, the circulation department head and the paraprofessional librarian will analyze the data of the surveys and public forums to create goals for the strategic plan. Objectives: A working group consisting of the head of reference, the periodical department head and childrens department head will create objectives to achieve these goals.

Action plans: A working group consisting of the representative from the chamber of commerce, the head school librarian for the city and the liaison from the elder affairs office will create action plans for each objective. Community Input: There is a growing need in the community for easy to use and functional technology. Its important to not alienate older patrons or the growing immigrant population by offering straightforward technology that can be appreciated and used by all. The library is also becoming a community center as well, prompting FDRPL to host several social events for both patrons and those outside of the community. Both of these ideas will require both promotion and financing, which will have to be discussed when specific goals are established. Implementation and Monitoring of Plan: The success of FDRPL Strategic Plan is primarily dependant upon the FDRPL Administration and staff. Each staff member will receive a copy of the plan, and a staff meeting will be held in order to discuss the ways that each staff member may be a supporting element in the plan's overall success. Implementation:The department head or supervisor of each department that has a specific goal will be responsible for implementing each activity. Monitoring Process: Due to the fast-pace and ever-changing demands of technology and public needs, the Strategic Plan will have a target date of completion of three years, instead of the more usual five, leaving room for adjustments within that time frame (i.e. changes in city/state budget allocations, grants awarded, or private donations and collaborations). Progress reports compiled by department heads and their staff will be discussed at monthly department head meetings. These results will then be presented to the Strategic Planning Committee at their Plan evaluation meetings. Evaluation & Revision of Plan The evaluation and revision of the strategic plan based upon progress reports from FDRPL administration and staff will be overseen by the planning committee through a series of meetings to be held every six months for 3 years. At that time, a new strategic planning process will be considered. Evaluation: Aside from progress reports; a checklist of goals, objectives, and activities will be posted with updates on the Planning Committee Google Docs (the Wiki) and discussed at 6-month intervals. Success will be measured at the completion of activities, and the review of final reports by staff presented at the conclusion of strategic plan. Unmet goals and objectives will be revised as described in the following statement on revisions. Revision: Based upon evaluations, revisions will be suggested to staff by the planning committee which will be ongoing for the three-year time frame. II. Detailed Strategic Plan for the FDR Public Library

Vision Statement: The FDR Public Library is building to become one of the cornerstones of the American tradition of equal opportunity. It will continue to provide free and open access to the accumulated wisdom of the world, without distinction as to income, religion, nationality or other human condition. It will be everyones university; the scholars and authors haven; the statesmans, scientists and businessmans essential resource; a treasured part of the nations memory. It will guarantee freedom of information and independence of thought. And it will enable each individual to pursue learning at his or her own personal level of interest, preparation, ability, and desire. 4

Adapted from the Vision Statement of the New York Public Library: "FIVE-YEAR LIBRARY SYSTEM PLAN OF SERVICE." New York Public Library. NYPL, 1 Jan. 2007. Web. 6 Oct. 2011

Mission Statement: The mission of The FDR Public Library is to use its available resources in a balanced program of collecting, cataloging, and conserving books and other materials, and providing ready access to library users on-site and online. The FDR Public Librarys responsibility is to serve as a great storehouse of knowledge and function as an integral part of a fabric of information and learning that stretches across the nation and the world. 5 Motto: "Onsite and Online, the FDR Public Library Enriches Your Life" Goals, Objectives and Activities: A. Technology Goals Goal 1. Reduce paper usage among workers and provide instant access by going green with certain print material: Objective a. Provide for more database archival space and eliminate 70% of paper usage. Activity i. Have a committee made up of the IT Director, the representative from the Chamber of Commerce and the Head of Reference research and report on paper usage in the library and create a plan for reducing it. Activity ii. Research costs associated with enlarging the database, e.g. buying new servers, and estimate how much would be needed to bid on a contract. Activity iii. Encourage various departments to mitigate work flow online rather than using printed pages. Objective b. Place a touch-sensitive inter-active map or floor plan of the library in the lobby and on each floor. Visitors can touch an item in a list of categories ("cookbooks", "bathrooms", poetry, "elevators", etc.) and the location of that type of resource will be highlighted on the floor plan. Save paper by stop printing paper floor plans; frees up professional staff for Reference questions. Activity i. Get bids from competing vendors for large-screen monitors Activity ii. Check with paraprofessional shelvers on exact location of each Dewey category. Activity iii. Get an accurate floor plan from the Facilities department. Goal 2. Connect with tech-savvy users by providing convenient and state-of-the-art technology: Objective a. Expand collection of e-books and acquire the latest e-readers. Activity i. A committee made of the head of Adult services, a Teen Rep and the Periodical department head will review e-book publisher offerings. Activity ii. Assign the committee to research popular e-readers that support open, ePub file formats that can be accessed by patrons without restrictions. Objective b. Install large monitors showing dynamic rolling displays in the lobby for patrons entering the library. Activity i. Assign a committee create a display of where to find items on the New York Times Bestseller Lists concatenated with the FDRPLs Dewey categories, e.g. Looking for....books on celebrities? Go to the 3rd floor, south room.

Adapted from the Mission Statement of the New York Public Library: "FIVE-YEAR LIBRARY SYSTEM PLAN OF SERVICE." New York Public Library. NYPL, 1 Jan. 2007. Web. 6 Oct. 2011

Activity ii. Assign the committee to also work with the cultural coalition, and get information on community wide events to include on the monitors. Goal 3. Enhance Internet access for patrons using either library computers or their own portable devices: Objective a. Upgrade the T1 line for faster Internet access Activity i. Have the technical services department research Internet providers that offer the most megabits per second with the lowest monthly cost. Activity ii. Locate areas to install access points, so appropriate wiring can be set up allowing for more wireless hotspots. Objective b. Purchase 10 new computers to reduce the waiting period for computer access. New computers will be located as follows: - 4 in the Reference section - 4 in the YA room - 2 in the Childrens room Activity i. Create a committee made up of the head of reference, the youth department head and the childrens department head to locate appropriate desks and chairs for their respective departments. Activity ii. Have the technical services department negotiate a reduced price with their regular computer dealer. B. Financial Development Goals Goal 1. Discover new funding resources for FDRPL by developing relationships with community leaders and exploring new financial opportunities. Objective a. Develop associations with community leaders willing to help fund tentative library prospects. Activity i. Sponsor local festivals or events in the community that will emphasize FDRPLs committed relationship with the public. Activity ii. Select various representatives to attend State library conferences to hear new ideas and discuss how others deal with financing. Objective b. Research any new Government or Corporate funding prospects. Activity i. Research projects that offer funding from corporations willing to donate to FDRPL. Activity ii. Apply for State and Federal grants specifically for community enrichment plans, which will also fund library projects currently being undertaken. Goal 2. Develop a Return on Investment (ROI) plan that will ensure financial stability for proposed FDRPL plans. Objective a. Input the current amount of funding received, and where it came from, into state of the art bookkeeping software to ensure accurate numbers. Activity i. Update accounting spreadsheets, which are currently being used, so as to reflect current information. Activity ii. Research and purchase the bookkeeping program, and import updated spreadsheets into the software. Objective b. Compare the current budget with forthcoming FDRPL assignments.

Activity i. Conduct interviews with the various library staff members to determine the cost and possible overrun of any projects undertaken. Activity ii. Appropriately calculate any additional costs, and prepare a proposal for additional funding from the city to be delivered to the City Council. C. Library Space Goals Goal 1. Addressing the suggestions for both traditional and innovative use of library space, the FDRPL will reassess the concepts, purposes and public preferences of library space in order to appeal to and meet the needs of all library users. Ojective a. Reestablish the traditional reading room to better serve our retired community by creating a comfortable and quiet space where patrons can read. Activity i. The Adult Services staff will apply for a grant for new furniture in a "technology free" reading area lounge with a waterfall. Activity ii. The Serials Manager will maintain funding for print journals and newspapers through annual gifts and donations. Objective b. Create a changeable art gallery to show and support the work and efforts of local artists in order to show that the library is for use by all of the community. Activity i.The adult services staff will seek funding for the purchase of movable stacks to constantly create new spaces for art shows of various mediums (sculpture, performance art, etc.) Activity ii. Hold opening receptions for art shows in the library after hours (7-9) with light refreshments, manned by volunteers, Friends of the FDRPL, and one Department Head. D. Library Awareness Goals Goal 1. Due to inadequately represented demographics, the library will establish outreach initiatives to raise library awareness. Objective a. Develop and provide off site services to nontraditional users outside of the library building. Activity i. The Outreach Librarian will conduct a Book Club at a local rehabilitation house for women, encouraging reading and the the sharing of ideas. Activity ii. The Outreach Librarian will also provide one-on-one reference services for the residents, through the use of a laptop, as well as delivering requested materials. Objective b. Collaborate with other groups and agencies within the city to better understand inadequately represented demographics in the community. Activity i. Young Adult Librarian will attend monthly Youth Provider Network meetings, led by the city's Human Services Department, offering such library services as reference and programming. Activity ii. Adult Services will partner with the Young Professionals by hosting The FDR Young Professionals Brown Bag Lunch Lectures, a series of speakers on various topics for young professionals, from family matters to entrepreneurship.